Hopeless Romantics
by WaterWings617
Summary: Love's a funny, fickle thing.  Akuroku oneshot for Akuroku day  Happy 8.13, everybody!


**Working Title: Hopeless Romantics**

**Summary: Love's a funny, fickle thing. (Akuroku oneshot for Akuroku day) **

**Final Word Count: 4,326.**

**-Alright, so this is basically pure fluff. I apologize. I'm trying to write something not so fluffy, but it's not really working at the moment, so we'll see if I get it up or not.**

**Also, I might be starting a chapter fic, but no promises : )**

**So anyway, happy Akuroku day everyone! This has been in the works for about two weeks, so I hope you guys like it. And I apologize in advance for spelling/grammar mistakes. When I write in third person I tend to switch tenses without realizing it. So, I'm very sorry. Feel free to point out my mistakes.**

**Also! I tend to write Axel like a total lovesick sap. So I apologize for that as well.**

**Oh! Disclaimer! – Axel and Roxas and the rest of Kingdom Hearts do not belong to me, regrettably. **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

Axel had always wondered about love.

His parents were total deadbeats, so he didn't understand 'parental love' until he moved from his parent's home in Hollow Bastion (they had been deemed unfit to take care of him) to his Aunt Tifa's house on Destiny Islands. She took him in as her own, and that was the first time he fully understood the word 'love'.

But then he became confused. She loved him (She had told him so. It was one of the happiest moments of his life.), but he knew she also loved her husand, Cloud. And the way she looked at him was loving, but the way she looked at Cloud was also loving… but different.

He just didn't understand.

So he asked her about it.

"I love you," she'd said, "but I'm in love with Cloud. I love you because you're like my son, because you're the cutest little five year old on the planet, because I care for you and know what a good kid you are. But I'm in love with Cloud because he's my husband, he's The One."

And Axel had nodded like he'd understood, and maybe he had, a little, but still, not really.

Axel was seven when he made his first friend. His name was Saix, and he was in Axel's class.

They played together every day, and they were practically inseperable. And Axel loved Saix, and he knew in his seven year old mind that Saix loved him back.

But he knew it wasn't the same love as the way Tifa loved Cloud. The looks, the touches, they weren't the same. Even at his young age, he understood that.

So he deemed this 'Friendship Brotherly Love' and continued his unconscious search for The One.

He was in seventh grade when Saix moved away to NeverWas, which was practically on the other side of the world. He missed him, loads, but he knew it wasn't the same way Tifa would miss Cloud, so he kept searching.

It was the next year when Sora and Riku moved in. He was given instructions to help them during their first week at the new school, and they soon became fast friends.

He learned that their dads worked for the same company and had both been transferred from Twilight Town to Destiny Islands at the same time. He also learned that they loved the ocean, so they were both excited to have moved here.

And he learned that he had "Friendship Brotherly Love' (he had never changed the name) with Riku, but something else with Sora.

And so he thought 'oh hey, maybe I like Sora. Maybe Sora's The One'.

And he kept thinking that. He'd never really been attracted to anyone before, so he wasn't really sure how to go about figuring out if Sora was really The One or not. So it was confusing, but he figured he'd wait and maybe he'd figure it out.

It was another few months before he noticed the 'looks' Riku gave Sora. And when he stepped back to analyze it, he realized that yeah, he _liked_ Sora, but he didn't _love _Sora, at least not in the way that Riku loved Sora, which was comparable to the way Aunt Tifa loved Uncle Cloud.

That was when he realized he _cared _for Sora, which was another form of love all together. It was like 'Friendship Brotherly Love', but it was more comparable to the way Aunt Tifa loved him as a son.

He wanted to protect Sora. But he didn't love him.

At least, not like that.

They were halfway through the ninth grade before Axel realized that Sora gave Riku the 'looks' back.

It was the last week of the summer before tenth grade when Sora announced his cousin would be moving in with them from Twilight Town.

By this point, Axel had resigned himself to the fact that The One probably wasn't going to show his or her face (he had decided he didn't care what gender they were) any time soon, but he listened intently anyway as Sora explained that Roxas, his cousin, had just lost his mom, and his dad had ran out on them when he was young. He and Sora had basically grown up together (they were the same age) and were the best of friends, so when he had been told he needed to move in with a relative, he had obviously asked Sora's mom if he could stay with them.

And Sora's mom, being the sweetest person _ever_ (Axel had met her, and her awesomeness rivaled his Aunt Tifa's. Her cooking was beast too) had of course agreed to take him in. So he'd be coming in a few days, and was starting school with them the next week.

And Axel had been excited. He liked caring for people, as weird as it sounds, and he wanted to care for this kid too. Even if he wasn't The One.

But as it turned out, Roxas was The One.

It just took him a few months to realize it.

When Axel met Roxas, he decided that he was going to care for this boy like how he cared for Sora, except for maybe even more because this kid was cute, even cuter than Sora, and he felt something bubble up in his chest upon looking at him.

Roxas was quiet, and only ever smiled at Sora. And true to Sora's word, they were the best of friends.

He sat with them at lunch on the first day of school, and that was when they were introduced. Roxas had been talking only to Sora, and that was when Sora realized that Roxas didn't know anyone else at the table with them (Besides Riku, but apparently they had never really gotten along well. It was Sora and Riku and Axel, they were the inner circle, but they also sat with Kairi and Namine and Tidus and Selphie and sometimes this girl Xion). So he introduced everyone to him.

"Everyone, this is Roxas. Roxas, this is everyone." And then he went around and said everyone's names and in return they all gave a little wave. And finally, when he made it to Axel, Axel looked Roxas straight in the eyes, gave a small smile, and simply said "hi".

And Roxas stared right back, his blue eyes like crystals, and gave a small "hi" in return.

That was the day Roxas stopped smiling solely for Sora.

A month later, he and Roxas were inseparable. Sure, both of them had known Sora and Riku longer than they'd known each other, but Axel felt like he had this connection to Roxas. Even being best friends with Riku and Sora hadn't been like this. Plus, it was so obvious the two were in love (even if they didn't know it yet) that he always felt a bit like a third wheel.

Being with Roxas was comfortable and easy and fun, and even if Roxas was still upset about his mom, Axel made him forget and smile, and if it was a good day, sometimes he'd get him to laugh too.

There were a lot of good days.

It was probably two months later that Axel realized he'd forgotten all about his quest for The One.

Then he realized he didn't really care, The One would show their face when they were ready (because fate would bring them together, and nothing could overpower fate).

Axel guessed maybe he was something of a hopeless romantic. But he was okay with that.

It was another week before Axel realized that he'd forgotten all about the one because he'd been too busy caring for Roxas.

It was almost Christmas when he figured it out.

They had just been walking through downtown, shopping a bit for presents for their families and friends. It was snowing lightly, and Roxas had been laughing at something Axel had said (it was a good day). Axel had just happened to look down at Roxas, and Roxas just happened to look up at Axel, and the sunlight _just happened_ to filter through the clouds a bit at that _exact_ moment, and that was when Axel discovered the meaning of love.

It was the sunlight in Roxas's hair, his tinkling laugh, the way his smiles brightened Axel's entire day and made Axel smile too. It was the way his eyes shown, his lips moved, the way he clutched Axel's arm for warmth and hid his face in Axel's chest when he was embarrassed and didn't want Axel to see or when he was sad and just needed some comfort.

Fate had already intervened. Roxas was The One.

It was at this point in time that Axel started wondering if he was partly at fault for Roxas's mom's death. Because if fate guides The One to you, then was it his fault that fate had taken his mom in order to bring them together?

But then he thought maybe he was over thinking it, so he tried to forget about the nagging guilt.

It was another few months before anyone even noticed that Axel was in love with Roxas. He'd been exactly the same after the realization, but now he gave Roxas the same looks Riku gave Sora (and vice versa). Now he sometimes pulled Roxas a little closer when they were hanging out watching a movie, because even though Roxas pretended to be little mister tough guy, Axel knew he secretly liked the comfort that came from cuddling.

Now he just flat out wished Roxas would notice so they could be together forever.

But then he realized he was being selfish so he stopped and tried to just be happy being with Roxas. It wasn't too hard, Roxas made him forget (just as he made Roxas made forget).

But anyway, it was the start of summer vacation when Riku realized how Axel felt about Roxas. Sora and Roxas were off visiting their grandparents in Christmas Town, so instead of the four of them hanging out, it was just Axel and Riku. They were at Axel's house, button mashing on his PS2.

Axel had insisted on Tekken, but soon enough Riku was asking if he could change it cause the graphics made his head hurt. So Axel was digging through the cabinet, trying to find the latest Keybade Heroes to put in, when Riku decided to state the obvious.

"You're in love with Roxas," Axel promptly hit his head on the top of the cabinet. He hadn't expected Riku, of all people, to notice, but whatever.

"And you're in love with Sora," he fired back just as calmly, rubbing his head where he'd bumped while thinking all of this over and still digging through the cabinet to find the game (he was quite the multi tasker).

Riku choked on his lemonade.

"How did you know?" he finaly rasped out, once he had stopped gagging uncontrollably.

"It's the way you look at him. It's the same way my Aunt Tifa looks at my Uncle Cloud, the same way I look at Roxas, the same way Sora's parents look at each other, the same way your parents look at each other too," he says, patting Riku on the back and trying to pop the game (which he had finally found) out of its case with only one hand.

"All it means," he says, putting the game into the drive on the PS2, "is that Sora's the one."

They're on their third round of Keyblade Heroes when Riku speaks again.

"You should tell him, you know," Axel just shrugs.

"And you should tell Sora," Riku shrugs and they go back to playing.

A few minutes later Axel breaks the silence again.

"I'll tell him if you tell him."

"Deal."

Axel hopes Riku actually has the balls to tell Sora, 'cause he wants to confess to Roxas but he feels like he needs a reason to bare his heart to the blonde.

Summer vacation is half over when Roxas shows up at Axel's door unexpectedly to pass on a message from Riku. It's around 11 in the morning. Tifa and Cloud are at work, and Axel is half conscious upstairs. When the doorbell rings, he curses softly under his breath and hauls himself out of bed, padding downstairs to the front door in just his pajama pants.

He yanks open the door, about to tell whoever it is to piss the hell off (he is so not a morning person, dammit.) when he sees that it's Roxas.

"Oh," he says, "hey," and something in the back of his mind realizes what this must be about.

"Riku came over at a bloody early hour this morning, kicked me out, and told me to go to your house and tell you that you 'have to hold up your end of the deal'," Roxas sighed half heartedly "can I please know why I was forcefully kicked out of my nice warm bed at an hour before 1 PM?"

(Roxas obviously isn't a morning person either.)

"Riku loves Sora," Axel states suddenly, without preamble, and Roxas gives him a funny look but doesn't even bat an eye.

"No shit, Sherlock. Tell me something I don't know," (Today is obviously not a good day.)

"And Sora loves him back,"

"Yes, yes," Roxas says, moving inside and shutting the door behind him, "that's nice and all, but would you mind telling me what this is all about?" he pinches his nose and takes a big, shuddering breath in and out. "Sorry I'm snapping at you. It's just been a rough morning and it's not even 11. I was hoping I'd get to sleep in today,"

Oh that's right. Roxas works mornings during the week at the local coffee shop. Today was Saturday. Axel had forgotten.

"Yeah, sorry. But the thing is, that is what this is about," Axel leads Roxas into the kitchen and starts pouring them both coffee. Roxas sits himself on the countertop.

"This is about my brother and his boy toy?" Axel laughs.

"Well, I kind of told Riku that if he could confess to Sora, I would confess to the person I… like," he hesitates, worried he'll scare Roxas off with the word love.

"…oh," Roxas says, understanding in his blue eyes. Axel passes him the coffee cup and he takes it, downing a big gulp before speaking again.

"So I'm here to tell you to grow some balls and tell the guy you're practically in love with that you've got the hots for him?" Axel laughs, a sharp, barking sound cutting through the humid air of the kitchen.

"To put it bluntly, yeah," he says softly, moving to stand in front of Roxas, "Any ideas on how I should go about doing it?"

"Just be upfront about it,"

"Okay then,"

And suddenly his lips are on Roxas's, one finger under the blonde's chin, tilting his head up (he's still shorter than Axel, even when he's sitting on the counter) and the other next to their abandoned coffees on the counter.

And the next second he's on the other side of the kitchen, refilling their coffee cups and bringing them back over. Roxas just sits there, dumb struck, until Axel is standing in front of him again, half a minute later, coffees in hand.

"Oh," is all he says, eyes filled with the same understanding he had a few moments ago.

And then he smiles the most breathtaking smile Axel's ever seen him wear on his pretty little face.

(And he's giddy inside because it's for him and only for him)

"Oh."

Now, even though they've split up into their respective pairs, not much has changed. There's still the four of them, and they double date or whatever and hang out as just friends a lot, but ever since Roxas had been thrust into their lives, they had been paired up anyway.

So time passes and nothing changes and Axel couldn't be happier.

Because ever since he was a curious little kid he'd longed to understand this feeling, the one he gets in the pit of his stomach whenever Roxas is near. He'd only ever wanted to meet The One, and now The One is the one standing next to him, gripping his hand, dragging him around downtown, pulling him along the shore, the one sharing his ice cream with him, the one who makes him happier than anything else. All he'd ever wanted was to understand love.

And now he finally does.

And life is good.

As it turns out, understanding love and being with The One isn't so good when The One could be leaving you forever.

It was just a normal day in the last week or so of summer. Axel and Roxas were together (as usual) at Roxas's house. Sora and Riku had gone out to the beach earlier, so the pair were just lounging on the sofa, watching cartoons. Axel was spread across the couch, lying down with Roxas curled up on top of him. Scooby Doo had just come on when the doorbell rang.

Axel and Roxas both yawned and stretched in sync, and Roxas got off Axel, pulled him up by the hand and dragged him over to the door.

Outside stood a business lady and Roxas opened the door and greeted her politely, never once letting go of Axel's hand. If anything his grip got tighter.

They must have looked kind of funny, both of them in long sweat pants, even on the hot summers day, Axel rubbing sleep from his eyes while Roxas clung to his other hand, Scooby Doo blaring in the background, facing this strict, prim looking business woman.

"Hello, is a… Roxas Gainsborough present?" she asked, consulting the clipboard she was carrying.

"You're looking at him," Roxas said, but the edge in his voice disappeared with the next word.

"Why?"

"It seems we've found your father."

And Axel's entire world came crashing down. Because love's a funny, fickle thing that way.

You think you've found it, but it always tries to weasel just out of your grasp.

When Roxas's mother had died, Roxas had been sent to live with his aunt. But they had been attempting to track down his father since then, in case Roxas wanted to move in with him.

They had found him living in Land of Dragons, which was even farther away from Destiny Islands than NeverWas.

Axel wanted to cry. But Roxas just put on his brave face (Axel had come to recognize it in the almost-year he'd known him) and told her he'd think about living with his father, but he wasn't making any promises yet.

Things continued as usual for the boys, even with the prospect of Roxas leaving them hovering on the horizon. Axel tried not to think about it, Sora and Riku tried not to think about it, and they could all tell Roxas was trying not to think about it, but the shadows under his eyes from too many sleepless nights only got darker as the weeks went on.

Eventually a date was set. Roxas would have to decide by January 7th if he was going to move to his father's home. His dad was a very busy man, the business lady had told them when Roxas had announced he still hadn't decided, and he needed a definite answer. So she had given him a deadline.

He told them this at lunch the week before Christmas break. He had his brave face on, but his eyes were dark and shadowed, and it broke Axel's heart a little bit to see him like this.

But he put his brave face on as well and told Roxas softly that no matter what he decided, it would all be okay.

And that was a big fat lie, but he couldn't even bring himself to cross his fingers as he said it because he wanted it to be true so, so bad.

The day after Christmas the four boys got together to do a gift exchange like they'd done every year since Sora and Riku had moved to town. Afterwards, Riku was taking Sora out, and Axel had offered to do the same, but Roxas had wanted to stay in instead.

"It's all snowy and cold out," he said, tugging on Axel's hand. "I'd rather just stay in if that's okay with you,"

"Of course it is. Another time, eh?" Axel said, kissing Roxas's head and following him upstairs. Roxas eventually pulled him into his room, and dragged him down onto the bed, hugging him close.

"What's this about?" Axel asked into Roxas's hair, hugging Roxas back tightly. It wasn't that Roxas didn't show affection, he did, but it was usually on a smaller scale. Little kisses, and such. It was usually Axel initiating most of the cuddling.

"I just… want to be close to you," Roxas mutered, his face turning beet red. "S'that a problem?"

"Not at all."

It was a little while later before Roxas broke the comfortable silence they had fallen into. He had rolled over a bit ago and turned on some music, and a soft song Axel didn't know was playing from the speakers as Roxas traced patterns on his chest.

"How do you feel about me leaving?" he asked, not meeting Axel's eyes.

"I told you, no matter what you do, I'll be fine," he says, but inside he just wants to break down.

"No, no, no," Roxas says, pulling back a little and looking Axel in the eyes. "don't give me that. How do you really feel."

Axel sighs and looks away. "You want me to be totally, brutally honest?"

He sees Roxas roll his eyes from the corner of his vision. "Yes."

"…It'd break my heart. I know I only met you a little over a year ago, but I feel like I've known you forever. And I just got you, I can't imagine losing you. I don't want you to leave, not now, not ever. But if you really want to go, then it's ultimately up to you. But just know…" he pauses, not sure if he should go on.

"I'll love you forever, no matter what you do. You're The One, Rox," And with those few words, the entire conversation took a sharp left turn.

"You… what?" Roxas asks, freezing up in his arms.

"I love you. I'm in love with you," he sighs, "now that I've said it, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop saying it. I love you I love you I love you. So much it hurts sometimes."

Roxas unfreezes a bit and goes back to lightly tracing patterns on his chest. "But… how do you know?"

"It's… a lot of things really." He punctuates the senctence with a kiss.

"It's the way you smile," kiss.

"The way you laugh," kiss.

" The way I get butterflies in my stomach whenever you around," kiss.

"It's the way you kiss," kiss.

" It's the way you make me fall more in love every day," kiss.

"And it's so much more. You're just The One, and I know it. I can't quite explain… this feeling."

And Roxas looks up at him with the same understanding he had in his eyes when Axel kissed him for the first time.

"I think I understand."

On January 7th the service woman shows up at their door again. But this time it's not just Roxas and Axel at home. This time everyone's anxiously waiting her arrival, lined up stiffly on the couch.

Because Roxas has made his decision, but he hasn't told any of them. Not even Axel.

And it's been driving Axel mad.

It was around midday when the doorbell finally rang, and everyone leapt to their feet and rushed to the door. Roxas had been sitting closest, so he arrived first, the door swinging open to the service woman in all her business suited glory.

They were all probably quite the sight to see. Sora was clutching onto Riku's arm, fear evident in his big, blue eyes. Riku, trying to look indifferent, but standing stiffly, the fear evident in his pose. Sora's parents, standing at the back, his mother biting her lip, his father clutching her hand. And Roxas at the front, with Axel just behind him, standing separately, but together.

They all just stared each other down for a moment, and just when Axel was about to burst, Roxas finally spoke up.

"I've made my decision," he said, giving the service woman an even gaze.

"I'm staying." Everyone in the house gave a collective sigh of relief, big, happy grins spreading over their faces. Even Riku managed a smile.

"If you don't mind me asking, any particular reason why?" the service woman asked, quirking a small smile herself. (Axel guessed it was probably hard not to, what, with 5 (6, Riku was actually grinning now) people beaming brightly at you).

"Well, think about it. I just got here, barely even a year ago, and this would mean moving again, but this time to even farther away. I'd be living with my father who I don't even remember, and I'd be living in the Land of Dragons, of all places. So not only would I need to meet all new people, make all new friends, and actually get on speaking terms with my father who I've learned to hate, I'd also have to learn a whole new language, because they don't speak very much English over there," Roxas took a big breath, calming himself slightly before he spoke again.

"Besides, I'm happy here," he said, smiling, and then he reached back for Axel's hand and Axel felt his heart positively _soar_ at his next words.

"and I'm in love,"

**So, what did you think? Was it good? Bad? Should I never write ever again? Let me know in a review! **


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